I am in the middle of a trip to the Cognac region of France. I will write about this remarkable alcohol in the coming weeks. One of the most important components in making Cognac is the oak barrel, and I had an opportunity to visit one of the world's leading barrel producers, or cooperages, Seguin-Moreau.

I have seen barrel-making on a few occasions before, but this was the first time I was able to see each step of the process, talk with coopers and get a sense of trends in winemaking, at least viewed from the perspective of a barrel-maker.

The most striking thing is that modern barrel-making, despite becoming mechanized on certain levels, remains largely an artisanal undertaking. To underline the importance of these traditional skills, at Seguin-Moreau, apprentice coopers must still be able to make a small barrel entirely by hand before they are allowed to work in the main production line.

What has changed? The most important changes are the use of computers to control saws for precision cutting. Since oak is a limited resource and expensive, and barrels come in a multitude of sizes — every barrel is made to order following specific guidelines set out by the winery or alcohol producer — computers help coopers to maximize the efficiency of their wood stock.

How to make a barrel

If there is a strong connection to the past in coopers, it is understandable when you consider that the trees cut down are between 150 and 200 years of age. It was mentioned to me several times how important forest management is in France, which started in earnest in the 17th century.

Why do the French have such a great resource today after centuries of growing and harvesting oak? It had nothing to do with environmentalism. Ironically, it was because of war. A French minister named Colbert created national forests for the purpose of ship building. One of the reasons oak became the dominant wood used for barrel-making was that once metal started being used for ships, there was so much oak out there.

Even after a tree is cut down, it takes years before the wood is ready to be used to make a barrel. The logs are split by hand, along the grain into "staves," or strips, of wood. Rough cut into smaller pieces, each piece is then inspected by eye for slight defects like knots or variations in the grain that can eventually cause leaks.

The staves are then stacked, and left outside for 18 to 36 months. This is referred to as "seasoning." By exposing the wood to the rain, sun and seasonal temperature changes, the harsh green tannins of the wood are leached out.

Then the construction process begins. Computers now control the sawing of the staves to exactly the right size and shape, but after that, it is all elbow grease. The barrels are roughly assembled using metal bands and put over small fires. Once pliable, more metal bands are put on and hammered, and I mean hammered, into place.

Once the barrel form is achieved, it is toasted, which, after the selection of the type of oak to use, will have the most effect on the final wine. This process, of burning or charring the inside of the barrel, will change the way the wood interacts with the liquid. A heavier toast will release aromas as vanilla and caramel. Lighter toasts will give more tannins and spice.

Once fully assembled and sealed, these barrels go through several tests to check for leaks and weaknesses in the wood. Again, much of this is done by hand.

To fully understand why barrels are made the way they are, it's good to know what barrels do. Although it started as simply a storage container for transport, the barrel has become an integral part of wine and spirits production. Many of the aromas that people love in both are, in fact, derived from the wood, and not the grapes or alcohol themselves.

The barrel will influence a wine in two main ways. The first is via extraction, whereby several classes of chemical compounds found in the wood, referred to as phenols and lactones, are integrated into the wine or alcohol. For example, if you smell or taste toast, caramel, vanilla, dill, nuts, dried spices, coffee or tobacco in your wine, it is a sign that it was most likely aged in oak. And while tannin, that drying sensation you get from certain red wines, is primarily derived from the grape's seeds and skin, wood, especially in a new barrel, is also an important source.

While barrels are impermeable to liquid, they are not airtight. So via a gentle oxygenation, certain structural elements of a wine — tannins and acids — will transform. As well, other aromatic components of the wine will react to a gradual exposure to oxygen through the grain of the wood and evolve to become even more complex.

This gradual oxidation, or barrel maturation, results in softer tannins, a richer colour and helps the primary "grapiness" of a freshly made wine evolve into more complex aromas and flavours.However, the degree to which these barrels influence the wine depends on a number of factors: the barrel size, the age of the barrel and the type of wood. For example, for the first three years, barrels are used particularly for the flavours that they impart to the wine. After that, a barrel is used primarily for the express purpose of slowly oxidizing the wine since there is little flavour left in the wood.One Quercus isn't like the other

Although there are several types of wood that are used in barrel-making, by far the dominant one is oak, and the vast majority is from the many forests in France. At Seguin-Moreau, while they do use wood sourced from the U.S. and a few forests in eastern Europe and the Caucasus region of southern Russia, the majority is French. Why?

Because it grows at a slower rate, European oak has a "tighter grain" (more rings per inch). Tighter grains impart less oak flavour, which is why the looser-grained American oak contributes much more flavour to the wine.

But even within the French forests, there are differences between the oak that is harvested. Limousin, which is the forest nearest to Cognac (just north of Bordeaux), is the only oak that Remy Martin uses in the aging of its Cognacs. The wood is less finely grained and very porous, and is known for the vanilla tones and spice it gives to the eau-du-vies.

Forests like Allier and Nevers have tighter grains and are some of the most sought after woods for the production of fine wine — though Allier is generally considered to give more refined flavours and aromas, and is used with more delicate wines.

Winemakers will often have a preference for the forest of origin of French oak because each will bring slightly different flavours and aromas to the wine.

Here are two comparative tastings you can do at home. The first are two Beaujolais — one from Brouilly and the other from the Côte de Brouilly, which tends to give richer wines. The second is pinot noir, Burgundy versus Oregon. Try them on their own and then with a meal — I would suggest tuna tartare or tuna steak.

The gamays

Brouilly 2011, Château De Pierreux, France red, $20.15, SAQ #10754421. Tasted over two days and it got better and better. So lively and fresh, with an intriguing mix of granite and strawberries. Acidity is vibrant — this is on the lighter side of the Brouilly scale. But just so chuggable. Serve at 16C. Drink now-2016. Food-pairing idea: aperitif, sausages.

Côte de Brouilly 2010, Les Feuillées, Laurent Martray, France red, $20.30, SAQ #11153125. Also better on the second day. After opening, it struck me as too powerful, too intense for a Beaujolais. The day after, it seemed to regain freshness, but the fruit was still dark, and with a granitic streak as well. Some decent tannins as well. Serve at 16C. Drink now-2016. Food-pairing idea: aperitif, charcuteries.

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